The spatial mobility network and influencing factors of the higher education population in China.

This article examines the spatial mobility characteristics and influencing factors of China's highly educated population, defined as individuals with specialist education or above, using data from the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey. It finds that talent mobility in China is unevenly distributed, with central and eastern regions—especially the eastern coastal areas including Beijing, Shanghai, and surrounding urban agglomerations—serving as major hubs attracting highly educated individuals. The mobility network exhibits a hierarchical "north-south division," dominated by Beijing in the north and Shanghai in the south, with geographic distance hindering mobility while cultural, institutional, and provincial similarities facilitate it. Economic strength, concentration of higher education institutions, infrastructure quality, and urban environmental aesthetics are significant positive factors influencing the flow of highly educated talent. The study employs complex network analysis and a negative binomial regression model to reveal these patterns and suggests differentiated regional policies to attract and retain talent based on cities' positions within the mobility network.